U.S. patent number 4,578,572 [Application Number 06/505,234] was granted by the patent office on 1986-03-25 for modular microprocessor-based system for printing and reading a personal identifier code on a form.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Data Information Management Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to John R. Hice.
United States Patent |
4,578,572 |
Hice |
March 25, 1986 |
Modular microprocessor-based system for printing and reading a
personal identifier code on a form
Abstract
A modular microprocessor-based code printing and reading system,
adapted to print a personal coded indentifier on a form, and to
read the code from the form to generate data for processing
thereof. The system is particularly adapted for use in the
elections process, with the code comprising a bar code,
representing an identifier assigned to the person identified, which
identifier is random relative to an alphabetical listing of persons
so identified. The system includes a laser printer,
microprocessor-based, operable in response to a laser control
program, for printing the bar code associated with the particular
person at the appropriate location on the form. The system further
includes a portable compact reader, microprocessor-based, which
includes a wand adapted to sense the bar code on the form. The
reader is operable in response to control by the operator, and to a
reader control program, for reading the bar code, to generate data
relating to the person identified thereby for processing
thereof.
Inventors: |
Hice; John R. (Santa Paula,
CA) |
Assignee: |
Data Information Management
Systems, Inc. (Ventura, CA)
|
Family
ID: |
24009532 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/505,234 |
Filed: |
June 17, 1983 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
235/462.49;
235/386; 235/462.07; 235/487 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07C
13/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G07C
13/00 (20060101); G06K 007/10 () |
Field of
Search: |
;235/462,472,383,386,487 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
IBM Tech. Discl. Bull. vol 19, No. 1, Jun. 1976, "Read/Write
Stylus", E. Uberbacher..
|
Primary Examiner: Pitts; Harold I.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Drucker & Sommers
Claims
I claim:
1. A modular microprocessor-based apparatus for printing a unique
personal identifier code on a sheet of paper, which sheet of paper
comprises a form adapted for use in the elections process, which
code is adapted to enable the person's file to be addressible
directly without correlation to a control file, and for enabling
the code to be read from the sheet of paper, to generate data
associated with the person identified by the code relating to the
elections process, for processing thereof for use in the elections
process, comprising:
(a) means for printing the unique directly-addressible personal
identifier code, assigned to the person upon registration on the
elections rolls, on the sheet of elections process form paper,
microprocessor-based, including means for directing a laser beam
therein, adapted to be operable responsive to control by a laser
control program for printing the unique directly-addressible
personal identifier code on the elections process form; and
(b) portable compact means for reading the unique
directly-addressible personal identifier code from the elections
process form, microprocessor-based, adapted to be operable
responsive to control by the operator, and control by a reading
control program, to generate data associated with the person
identified by the code relating to the elections process, for
processing thereof for use in the elections process.
2. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the code comprises a bar
code.
3. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the reading means include a
wand portion, which includes therein means for sensing the code on
the sheet of paper.
4. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the laser printing means
are further adapted to provide a space associated with the person
identified by the unique directly-addressible personal identifier
code on the elections process form for acknowledgement by the
person identified by the code.
5. An apparatus as in claim 1, in which the unique
directly-addressible personal identifier code assigned to the
person so identified upon registration on the election rolls is
random relative to an alphabetical sequential listing of persons so
identified.
6. An apparatus as in claim 2, in which the bar code is convertible
into a plurality of bytes, and each byte includes means for
self-checking the accuracy of the reading of the byte by the
reading means.
7. An apparatus as in claim 4, in which the unique
directly-addressible personal identifier form compreses a list of
persons registered on the elections rolls, and includes, directly
adjacent to each code, an associated space for a signature
acknowledgement by the person identified by the code.
8. An apparatus as in claim 5, in which each byte includes a
plurality of bits, and the self-checking means comprises a further
parity bit in each byte.
9. An apparatus as in claim 6, in which each byte represents a
numerical character, and the unique directly-addressible personal
identifier code assigned to the person so identified upon
registration on the election rolls is random relative to an
alphabetical sequential listing of persons so identified.
10. A method for generating data associated with a person
identified by a unique personal identifier code, for processing
thereof for use in the elections process, comprising the steps
of:
(a) directing a laser beam in means, microprocessor-based, for
printing the unique personal identifier code, assigned to the
person upon registration on the elections rolls, on a sheet of
paper comprising a form adapted for use in the elections process,
which code is adapted to enable the person's file to be addressible
directly without correlation to a control file, responsive to
control by a laser control program, with a data-base including at
least the name of each person in the data base, and the
repetitively generated code for each person in the data base,
adapted such that no two people have the same code, and each
person's name and corresponding code are in a form readable by the
printing means;
(b) repetitively using portable compact microprocessor-based means,
operable responsive to control by an operator and by a reading
control program, to scan the unique directly-addressible personal
identifier code for reading the unique directly-addressible
personal identifier code from the elections process form so as to
generate data associated with the person identified by the code
relating to the elections process, for processing thereof for use
in the elections process.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to systems for printing and reading
forms for processing of data generated thereby. It relates
specifically to a modular system, microprocessor-based, for
printing a coded indentifier on a form and reading the coded
identifier to generate data relating to the person identified by
the code.
The prior art includes systems for printing and reading forms to
generate data relating to particular persons identified on the
forms. Such systems included impact line printers, which printed
identifying indicia on a form, such as multiple character
alphanumeric codes assigned to each person identified on the form.
These coded identifiers were used in forms relating to the
elections process, as voter registration numbers used on roster and
walking indexes, return mail, and affidavit forms.
The printed coded identifiers were read after the election
manually, to generate data therefrom for further processing. Such
further processing in the elections process, based on such manual
reading of coded identifiers, included voter canvas, identification
of voting history, and purging. Other processes based on manual
reading of coded identifiers in the elections process included
reviewing the return mail and affidavit forms.
Moreover, the prior art form printing systems were slow,
cumbersome, and expensive. For multiple copies, the printed forms
included carbon copies, which were messy to handle and difficult to
process. Further, the prior art manual form reading systems were
very slow, labor-intensive, and subject to significant margins of
error. Such systems required large numbers of workers to work long
periods of time. Thus, such systems were inaccurate, inconvenient,
inefficient, and expensive to use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is adapted to overcome the above problems and others
associated with the prior art. It provides a modular
microprocessor-based code printing and reading system, particularly
useful in the elections process. The microprocessor-based system
significantly lessens the possibility of problems in the use of
forms in the elections process. It enables rapid, efficient, and
convenient printing of forms used in the elections process, with
personal identifier codes accurately and efficiently printed
thereon. It further enables rapid, economical, and efficient
reading of the personal identifier codes with greater accuracy and
less margin of error, for generating data for processing
thereof.
The system includes a laser printer, microprocessor-based, for
rapidly, economically, accurately and efficiently printing a
personal bar code identifier on the form. Each bar code is assigned
exclusively to a particular person, and is random relative to an
alphabetized listing of all persons so identified. The laser
printer is adapted to be operable responsive to a control program
therefor.
A portable compact reading device, microprocessor-based, is
included in the system, for accurately, economically, rapidly and
efficiently reading the personal bar code identifier from the form.
The reading device is adapted to be operable responsive to control
by a control program therefor, and movement by the operator of a
wand code-sensing portion thereof relative to the bar code on the
form. The reading device enables one operator, having little
technical training, to interface with the system to control system
functions. It is readily and conveniently operable by a
non-technical operator, not requiring a person trained in computers
for use thereof, making it convenient and efficient to use. One
operator can perform the work previously done manually by a large
number of people, more accurately, and in significantly less time
and at less expense.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The FIGURE is a partly-schematic block diagram of the modular code
printing and reading system, pursuant to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention, as shown in the FIGURE and as described herein,
comprises a modular microprocessor-based coded-identification
printing and reading system. It is adapted to print an
identification code 10 on a sheet of paper which constitutes a form
12, and to read code 10 from form 12. The system is particularly
adapted for use in connection with forms used in the people
accountability process.
Code 10 preferrably comprises a bar code. In the bar code, the
thickness of lines printed on the form, as well as of spaces
provided therebetween, when properly read in combination, convert
into characters in a complete identifier code. One type of bar code
which may be used comprises the Uniform Product Code (UPC), in
which the bar code represents numerical characters. Another type of
bar code which may be used comprises the Thirty-Nine (39) Code, in
which the bar code represents alphabetical and numerical
characters. These bar codes can integrate thereinto pre-existing
codes for control purposes.
In the elections process, the bar code 10 represents a unique
number assigned to a particular voter upon entry into the system,
typically upon voter registration. Such bar code 10 used in the
elections process herein is a random identifier of each registered
voter relative to an alphabetical list of registered voters, over a
period of time. The identifier assigned by the system herein, upon
entry of the voter by registration, as represented by bar code 10,
is the next sequential identifier available in the series of
identifiers on the date of registration, as determined by a disk
management control program. Such identifier is randomized over a
period of time by virtue of maintenance, wherein voters are
inserted into and deleted from the voter registration rolls.
Further, such identifier is directly accessible by the system
herein, by virtue of the bar coding and associated software
controls, without maintaining subsidiary control files containing
lists of sequential identifiers and corresponding voter names. The
identifier generated in bar code is read at the real address space
for the individual on the disk, without any correlations to a
control file. The bar code 10 is readable as a plurality of bytes,
and each byte preferably includes a parity bit for self-checking
and verifying the accuracy of the reading of the byte.
Further, in the elections process, form 12 may comprise a form used
to determine whether or not a voter voted in an election, such as a
sheet in a roster index. The roster index sheet includes a portion
of the roster of voters. Each voter is identified on the sheet, for
example, by the voter's name 14, alphabetized by first letter of
the last name, the voter's address 16, a code identifier 18,
including numerical and/or alphabetical characters, bar code 10
representing the identifier 18, and space 20 for the voter to
acknowledge, as by signing, that such voter voted in the election.
Such roster indexes are prepared for use at the polling places
during an election, for controlling the activities of the voters,
including recording whether or not a voter voted in the election.
Roster indexes are used after the election by processing thereof,
to conduct a canvas. A canvas consists of an audit of the election,
and constitutes a comparison of the number of ballots issued
against the number of signatures on the roster. Further,
identification of voting histories is conducted based thereon,
constituting identifying persons who did vote and persons who did
not vote. A purging process is conducted based thereon, with each
person who did not vote being subject, in certain jurisdictions, to
removal from the voter rolls.
Other forms 12 used in the elections process for various
elections-related functions include walking indexes, return mail,
registration affidavits, and voting history forms. The walking
index is similar in format to the roster index, but is arranged by
addresses of voters, grouping together all voters on a particular
street in a particular area of the voting district, useful for
polling purposes. Return mail forms are addressed to each voter in
the jurisdiction, to determine whether the voter still resided in
the district. If such form was returned as either undeliverable, no
forwarding address, moved to another jurisdiction, or for some
other reason, appropriate modification of the voter rolls could be
made. Registration affidavits are used at the time of entry of a
voter into the system.
The modular microprocessor-based system for printing and reading
code 10 on form 12, as shown in the FIGURE, includes a laser
printer 22. Laser printer 22, microprocessor-based, includes a
laser beam generating and directing system, for rapidly directing a
laser beam, under the control of a laser control program, in very
fine incremental movements against a drum. The laser beam
magnetizes portions of the drum, to produce images thereon to then
be transferred to the sheet of paper comprising form 12, for
printing form 12 thereby.
Laser printer 22 has the capability of rapidly printing very fine
definitive lines, such as those required for printing a code such
as bar code 10. It is operable at very high speeds, for large
volume printing production requirements. Its speed enables it to
print multiple copies for use as form copies, without carbon sheets
which are messy for workers in the elections process to handle and
use.
Laser printer 22 is operable to rapidly, efficiently and
economically produce large volume reports, such as those used in
the elections process, with the personal voter identifier bar code
10 for each voter printed thereon, under the control of a laser
control program. The printed bar code 10 is capable of being read
electronically.
For the elections process, laser printer 22 may rapidly and
efficiently print an elections booklet, such as a Combined Roster
and Index for a particular precinct in a voting district. It may
use multiple paper hoppers, and print a front cover sheet on both
sides, with legally-required text thereon, the inside pages, such
as form 12 as shown in the FIGURE, a last inside page for
controlling persons not on the roster, and a back cover sheet. For
such printing, the laser is operable under the control of a laser
control program in the microprocessor in laser printer 22.
A portable compact code-reading device 24, microprocessor-based, is
further included in the modular system. Reading device 24 includes
a wand arm 26. Wand arm 26 is operable to rapidly and accurately
sense the bar code 10 on form 12 associated with particular voters,
under the control of an operator, in a convenient and efficient
manner. It may be used, for example, in the elections process, to
identify voters who did not vote in an election, by sensing,
through sensing means in end 28 of wand 26, the bar code 10
associated with each space where a voter did not sign to
acknowledge having voted.
Wand arm 26 enables rapid and accurate inputting of data into
reading device 24, by sensing bar code 10. Wand arm 26 is
preferrably comprised of a rubber housing, more wear-resistant than
plastic. It preferrably includes a glass portion, protected in a
projecting metal casing at sensing end 28, such that the glass does
not touch the sheet of form 12 for accurate viewing, more accurate
than plastic which tends to scratch and discolor. Sensing end 28,
upon complete reading of bar code 10, causes an audible tone to
sound. If the tone sounds, the bar code 10 has been accurately
read. If the tone does not sound, bar code 10 has not been read.
The operator must then rewand bar code 10, in an effort to read the
code. If the tone does not sound after several re-wandings, the
operator may manually key in the code identifier 18 for form 12,
through keyboard 30 of reading device 24. Sensing end 28 is able to
distinguish bar code 10 from other marks written thereover, such as
an over-write of the voter's signature.
Reading device 24, which includes menu-driven keyboard 30, further
includes an associated display 32, for manually keying in
identifier 18, as backup in the event that sensing end 28 of wand
arm 26 is unable to sense bar code 10, and for setting up the mode
of system operation. Keyboard 30 includes keys labeled to effect
specific functions, such as keys for particular elections process
applications. Keyboard 30 and display 32, through a reader control
program, enable various specific elections process functions to be
performed, including adding to counters, keeping track of audit
trails, scanning forward, scanning backward, scrolling forward and
backward, and selecting data transfer rates for processing thereof.
The reader control program, and any other elections-process-related
software for controlling reading device 24 is preferrably etched on
a programmable read-only memory. This enables efficient preparation
of control programs for various political divisions, and rapid and
efficient removal and replacement of the program for use of another
program therein for a different political division.
Reading device 24, upon reading bar code 10, generates data for
processing thereof in a rapid and efficient manner, enabling
accurate and prompt completion of functions associated with the
elections process. Such elections process functions, for example,
may comprise a post-election canvas of the election, auditing the
number of ballots issued against the number of signatures on the
roster, then identifying voting history of people who did not vote,
and conducting a purge of persons subject to removal from the
rolls. These functions are conducted in significantly decreased
time, with greater accuracy, and with significantly decreased
requirements for manual labor.
The data captured by reading device 24 upon reading bar code 10
enables processing by a computer suitably programmed to perform
elections process functions on a voter registration file data base.
Such elections-process-related functions include determining voting
history, persons eligible for purge, and/or controlling a voter
canvas after the election, conducted in an efficient and economical
manner. The system further enables capture of the data necessary
for fulfilling the legal requirements of a particular
elections-process-related application. Transfer of captured data to
the computer for processing may be effected, for example, by direct
connection of reading device 24 into the computer, transfer through
modems over suitable communications lines, or direct input of data
onto suitable storage media such as a reel of magnetic tape, then
taken to a computing center for processing.
The modular system herein does not require a technically-trained
computer specialist to operate. It is readily set up and used, and
is modularized for convenience of operation. It preferrably uses
modular high-sensitivity high-speed software programming for
efficiency of operation.
A preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth above,
for the purpose of explaining the invention. However, it is to be
understood that variations may be made in such embodiment, which
variations are nevertheless within the scope and spirit of the
invention, as set forth in the claims herein.
* * * * *